Conventionally, there is known an image formation apparatus to which an imaging unit including a toner bottle and a print unit is attached. The image formation apparatus has a structure in which a drive shaft is respectively provided in the toner bottle and the print unit, and drive force is obtained from a side of a main body of the image formation apparatus to which the imaging unit is attached.
As a coupling mode of the toner unit and the print unit of the imaging unit used in the image formation apparatus, there are a (single-body type) imaging unit in which the toner unit and the print unit are integrated so that the number of parts such as a shutter are reduced in order to reduce cost for introducing consumable goods for each time, and a (double-body type) imaging unit in which the toner bottle and the print unit are formed into separate bodies in order to reduce cost of the image formation apparatus over the entire use duration, and the toner bottle with the shorter life is replaceable (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-11233 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-219417). However, in general, the image formation apparatus is not designed so that the single-body type and double-body type imaging units can be attached to the image formation apparatus with compatibility. That is, an attached part on the side of the main body of the image formation apparatus is not commonly used so as to correspond to both the single-body type and double-body type imaging units.
There is a major advantage in the common use of the attached part on the side of the main body of the image formation apparatus. However, there are various problems in the common use.
For example, when the toner bottle and the print unit are respectively rigidly fixed, oscillation generated by the drive shaft of the toner bottle is transmitted to the print unit so as to generate color deviation. In a case of the double-body type imaging unit, since an elastic member is provided between the toner bottle and the print unit, the transmission of the oscillation from the toner bottle to the print unit can be relatively easily suppressed. However, in a case of the single-body type imaging unit, since the oscillation of the toner bottle is directly transmitted to the print unit, there is a need for connecting the attached part in the main body of the image formation apparatus provided with an elastic part for absorbing the oscillation and the drive shaft of the toner bottle. Therefore, the attached part in the main body of the image formation apparatus cannot be commonly used.
In a case of the single-body type imaging unit, the toner bottle and the print unit do not press against each other for positioning. However, in a case of the double-body type imaging unit, the toner bottle and the print unit sometimes press against each other. When the toner bottle and the print unit are fixed in such a way, the print unit is displaced so as to generate the color deviation. The generation of the color deviation is due to a difference in structures between the single-body type and double-body type imaging units. Therefore, unless the structures of the single-body type and double-body type imaging units are changed, the problem cannot be solved. Thus, without changing the structures of the imaging units, the attached part in the main body of the image formation apparatus cannot be commonly used so as to solve the above problem.
As a solution for the above problem, it is thought that looseness is provided for positioning the toner bottle relative to the main body of the image formation apparatus, and the drive force to the toner bottle is transmitted by flexible drive transmission means from the main body of the image formation apparatus. However, the number of parts is increased and the cost is boosted.
It is also thought that the pressing due to the oscillation and the positioning is solved by securely fixing the print unit to the main body. However, due to an increase in rigidity of the main body of the image formation apparatus, addition of fixing parts, and the like, the cost is boosted.